Flamboyance, feathers and femininity: ERDEM’s Barbette-inspired Pre-spring 27 collection

For the Pre-spring 27 collection ERDEM looks to Barbette: one of the earliest drag performers in Europe, whose aerial performances inspired esteemed artists like Jean Cocteau and Man Ray. The flamboyant collection explores androgyny and performance with a high-fashion twist. 

The tension that underpins the contrasts between masculinity and femininity, artifice and reality, strength and fragility is what weaves through the collection. There’s ultra-feminine silhouettes inspired by 1920s showgirl archetypes, and tailored oversized suits. Movement is also a defining concept in the capsule, with fluid satin and chiffon fabrics contrasting with more rigid hooped skirts. 

Echoing the high glamour of 1920s Paris where Barbette found his fame, heavy embellishments adorn many of the pieces. Broken crystals and deconstructed feathers pay homage to both the showgirl aesthetic and the imperfection of the glamourised industry.

Against it all, however, there is an unmistakable air of modernity. Straight leg jeans and utility jackets bring a much needed contemporary infusion to tie the collection together, and the tension between new and old creates an interesting visual dichotomy.